Chapter Seventy-Six: The Public Security Bureau

There will be three updates today, including the one I missed yesterday.

Yesterday, the internet was down. While waiting for it to come back, I started typing away, planning to head to an internet café to post the update if the connection didn’t return by nine. Unexpectedly, I fell asleep at my desk and didn’t wake until two in the morning.

Alas, life alone is filled with such small tragedies.

The sequence of events was not complicated. After Liu Guihua had finished recounting what happened, the officers at the scene had completed their investigation. The other plainclothes officers stood to one side while Captain Zhang, his brow tightly furrowed, remained silent, as if pondering something or searching his memory.

“Captain Zhang, that’s everything that happened. Do you think I’ll get my one hundred thousand yuan back?” Liu Guihua asked anxiously, clenching her fists.

“Auntie, don’t worry. We’ll do everything in our power to investigate this case and try our utmost to recover your stolen money,” Captain Zhang replied, pulling himself from his thoughts. “However, we’ll need your cooperation to a certain extent.”

“Captain Zhang, you can count on us. Whatever you need from me or my husband, we’ll do it,” Liu Guihua vowed. As long as there was a chance of recovering the money, she would do anything—she would even search the streets herself if that’s what it took.

“That’s excellent. The biggest challenge in our line of work is when victims are emotional or uncooperative. If the victims are willing to work with us, the odds of solving the case increase dramatically,” Captain Zhang said.

“The scene investigation is complete. Now, we need everyone involved to come to the station to make statements. Besides the victims, I’d like Mr. Zhang Wei and Mr. Zhang Song to accompany us as well,” Captain Zhang continued, his eyes resting on the two brothers.

“Captain Zhang, my brother and I didn’t lose any money. Why do you want us at the station? Are you suspecting we’re involved?” Zhang Song exclaimed, startled at the thought of being drawn into the matter.

“Don’t worry. I’m not suspecting either of you. I simply believe you were the original targets. The two criminals must have followed you from the bank to the neighborhood, only to change their minds at the last moment,” Captain Zhang explained quickly.

With that, everyone understood. Zhang Wei even looked at Captain Zhang with newfound respect—he’d come to the same conclusion himself. He didn’t object. “Of course, Captain. We’ll cooperate fully, and we’ll tell you everything about withdrawing the money.”

“Captain Zhang, are you saying those two brought the criminals here, and I just happened to take the fall for them?” Liu Guihua’s voice was dark with anger.

“That’s not something we can conclude at this stage. It requires further investigation,” Captain Zhang said, waving her off.

“What’s there to investigate? That must be it! If they hadn’t been spotted by the criminals at the bank, how could those two have shown up in the neighborhood at just the right time and known immediately that my bag held money? It’s their fault I was robbed,” Liu Guihua muttered to herself, wishing she could chew the brothers to pieces.

No matter how much Liu Guihua resented the brothers, she dared not make a scene with so many officers present. But every glance she cast their way was ice-cold, as if she’d transferred her hatred for the thieves onto them.

Only two police cars had come, so there wasn’t enough room for everyone who needed to go to the station. They had to use Zhang Baoguo’s sedan as well, and so the group—more than a dozen in all—headed to the station to give their statements.

At the station, Captain Zhang personally conducted the interrogations and took statements. Zhang Wei, not wanting any trouble, didn’t mention that he’d seen two men on a motorcycle; it wouldn’t have helped anyway, as he’d only glimpsed them from afar and had no useful information.

He was the last of the four to give his statement. When he finished, Captain Zhang accompanied him from the interrogation room, shook his hand firmly, and said, “Mr. Zhang Wei, thank you for your cooperation. If you remember anything useful, please contact me right away.”

“Of course, I will,” Zhang Wei replied with a smile. It wasn’t a bad thing to be on good terms with a criminal investigations captain, so he agreed readily.

“Why thank him? If he hadn’t led the criminals to the neighborhood, I wouldn’t have been robbed!” Liu Guihua snapped, her eyes glowing with resentment as she glared at Zhang Wei.

“Auntie, I understand how you feel, but unless the investigation proves otherwise, I hope you won’t falsely accuse me,” Zhang Wei retorted coldly.

“Dad, Mom, are you alright? You scared me half to death!” As Zhang Wei and Liu Guihua argued, a man and a woman entered the station. The woman rushed to Liu Guihua’s side, concern written across her face.

She had long, flowing hair, a yellow dress decorated with black patterns, long, slender legs, and red high heels—a rare beauty.

This was Zhang Baoguo and Liu Guihua’s daughter, Zhang Qi, who had hurried over from her company as soon as she heard what had happened.

“Both of you are safe, but a hundred thousand yuan was stolen. Of course I’m not alright,” Liu Guihua said, clutching her daughter’s arm.

“Auntie, money is just worldly possession. The important thing is that you’re safe,” said the man who had arrived with Zhang Qi, trying to comfort her.

“That’s easy for you to say—you’re a big boss with plenty of money. I can’t compare,” Liu Guihua snapped, rolling her eyes at him.

“Please don’t mind her, Mr. Wu,” Zhang Baoguo explained. “My wife just lost a large sum of money and isn’t herself. She doesn’t mean anything by it.”

“No worries at all. I completely understand. As soon as I heard, I rushed over to see if I could help in any way,” the man, addressed as Mr. Wu, replied.

“Thank you for your concern, Mr. Wu,” Zhang Baoguo said politely.

“Uncle, you don’t need to be so formal. Just call me Wu Yong from now on,” Wu Yong replied with humility.

“‘Wu Yong’? That means ‘useless, good-for-nothing,’ doesn’t it? What a funny name,” Zhang Song whispered to Zhang Wei, nudging him with his elbow.

“Mom, Dad, what actually happened? How did you end up getting robbed? Thank goodness it was only the money and not you who were hurt,” Zhang Qi said, her face still pale with fear.

“What do you mean, ‘thank goodness’? It’s all Zhang Wei’s fault—making snide remarks, even cursing me to be robbed on the way home,” Liu Guihua grumbled.

“Auntie, this has nothing to do with my brother. If anyone’s to blame, it’s just bad luck,” Zhang Song protested.

“Nonsense! Bad luck, you say? I suspect Zhang Wei conspired with those two thugs, telling them to wait downstairs and rob me. Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence?” Liu Guihua fumed, her shame turning to anger.

“Auntie, I’m respecting you as an elder by holding my tongue, but don’t push your luck,” Zhang Wei said coldly, his face darkening at her words.

“Zhang Wei, since you consider her an elder, say no more. She’s just blowing off steam,” Zhang Qi interjected, frowning at Zhang Wei.

“Even an elder can’t make a virtue out of being unreasonable, or she’ll only lose respect,” Zhang Wei said with a cold laugh.

“You brat, you take my money, side with outsiders, and now you call me shameless? You’ll be the death of me!” Liu Guihua cried, clutching her chest.

“Zhang Wei, can’t you just keep quiet? Can’t you see my mother’s worked herself into a state?” Zhang Qi snapped, glaring at Zhang Wei.

“That’s enough. This isn’t the place for an argument. The statements are all taken. Let’s go,” Captain Zhang interrupted impatiently.

“Wait a moment.” Wu Yong, who had been standing by in silence, now stepped forward. “Captain Zhang, I’m Wu Yong. We had drinks together at Cui Xiang Lou last month—do you remember?”

Wu Yong had been pursuing Zhang Qi for some time, though their relationship was still undefined. He saw this as the perfect opportunity to get closer to her parents.

“Ah, I remember now—you’re Director Wu’s nephew, the businessman,” Captain Zhang replied, recognition dawning as he shook Wu Yong’s hands. “Mr. Wu, my apologies for not recognizing you earlier.”

“No problem at all, Captain. You’re a busy man; it’s only natural,” Wu Yong replied, not the least bit offended.

“Mr. Wu, is there something you wish to discuss?” Captain Zhang asked. He and Wu Yong weren’t well acquainted, so he doubted Wu Yong had stopped him just to say hello.

“Captain Zhang, based on Aunt Liu’s account, I find this Zhang Wei fellow highly suspicious. It would be best to detain and interrogate him—who knows what you might uncover,” Wu Yong said, pointing at Zhang Wei, a cold glint in his eye, his words laced with hidden meaning.